EXCLUSIVE: 24-year-old multi-hyphenate Jillian Moray has wrapped on Pismo, a coming-of-age comedic drama marking her feature directorial debut, in which she stars opposite Nuha Jes Izman (Yellowjackets), Madeline Popovich (Murdaugh: Death in the Family), Lindsey Normington (Anora), Jack Irv (The Sweet East), and Kentucker Audley (Strawberry Mansion).

Shot on 16mm, with Pismo Beach, CA as its setting, Pismo follows three best friends as they reunite for a party-filled weekend, only to have their night spiral into danger and self-discovery, drawing focus to the sexual pressures teenage girls face.

Alexis G. Zall (Coin Heist), Ashlin Teague (Lady in the Lake), Holly Fontanetta, and Justin Nguyen round out the cast. The film is produced by Claire Loudis, Gordy De St. Jeor, and Moray, with Radiance Pictures’ Nuer Taqa and Zooey Pressey exec producing alongside Canopy Media Partners’ Steven Bombino.

Moray is coming off the Santa Barbara Film Festival premiere of her most recent short, Barbara, having premiered another project titled Vintage Lamp Shade at American Cinematheque’s Proof Film Festival in 2024.

She told Deadline, “Pismo is an important coming-of-age story navigating female friendship and the sexual pressures that can come along with it, especially in the digital age. Thanks to my incredible DP, Violet Smith, we were able to find a really cool balance between keeping the film raw and grounded on 16mm but still incorporating Gen Z digital aspects and energy. It was important to me that we represented real, messy characters to give young girls someone to look at and see themselves in, so I gave all the power to my actors to help shape each one of their characters and make them uniquely their own.”

Moray is represented by Canopy Media Partners and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Izman is repped by Buchwald and Cultured Artists; Popovich by the Alexander White Agency and Vault Entertainment.